Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 132031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
“I like your hair.”
“No,” he said and pointed a finger at Cash. “Don’t distract me until we’re at my place, because if I stay, I’ll have to wash sheets before I can hit the sack. Listen to me. I have a story to tell you. When I was nine years old, maybe ten, dependin’ on when it was, I jumped into the middle of a street initiation. Some punks were in the middle of shankin’ a kid. They planned to leave him to die. The kid was a quiet, skinny, goody-two-shoes kind of kid. He was walkin’ home from school, and he should have never been in my neighborhood to begin with. He didn’t fit there. He was small for his age, super clean-cut and clearly headed to bein’ gay.”
Everything inside of Cash stilled. Dev knew. Chills shot down his spine. Nausea swarmed him. His stomach churned with sudden anxiety. What could he say?
He let go of the breath he held and quietly shut the door.
“I don’t remember a lot of my involvement, but I know I was able to take a couple of those kids down which scared the others off. I was better with a blade than any of those posers. The kid didn’t deserve what he was gettin’.”
Cash took careful steps toward Dev. His heart wasn’t ready for this moment. Not like this. He’d truly thought they’d have a couple more days together before he eased Dev into his way of thinking. How wrong he’d been.
“What’re you saying to me?”
“You’re Ryan Cashin James, aren’t you? My mother followed the court trials and then the parole because I was a victim too. The guys were convicted on my behalf as well as yours. At first, I didn’t put it together but then on the way home…” Dev’s hands moved between them. “Well, is it you?”
Shit. He couldn’t tell how far down the rabbit hole Dev had gone. Clearly by his casual stance, he hadn’t gotten as far as “undercover agent” but Dev was smart and crafty. It wouldn’t take long.
It didn’t matter. Job first. Silence deadened everything inside his head. His undercover alias was now compromised, leaving him with no choice but to take Dev down. He stared at Dev as he fought his heart’s urge to wrap the biker in his arms and keep him all to himself.
Sadly, that wasn’t an option. He had to diffuse the onslaught he knew was coming once Dev put all the pieces together.
Dev took a sudden step backward, triggering Cash into instinctive action. He grabbed Dev’s wrist and arm with one hand, bending Dev’s hand into an unnatural position. He wrenched Dev’s arm around, twisting his body as the biker’s chest pitched forward. Thankfully, the element of surprise was on his side.
He wrapped his free hand around Dev’s bicep and spiraled the stunned biker to the ground. Dev sprawled across the faux wood floor. Cash’s knee followed, landing between Dev’s shoulder blades, pressing into his back. The whole maneuver took less than three seconds to execute. He reached for Dev’s free hand, wrenching his wrists together.
“I would’ve just let you tie me up,” Dev teased, looking back over his shoulder. Whatever he saw made Dev’s body tense.
“Joe!” Cash boomed. “Bring the handcuffs.”
Joe popped out from around the hall’s corner, weapon drawn. Cash shook his head. Joe wasn’t proficient enough for this kind of involvement. His hands shook as he aimed the pistol directly at Dev, which meant it was also too damn close to him.
“What the fuck?” Instantly, Dev bucked his body, fighting against Cash, trying his best to dislodge and break free.
“Turn the weapon away and give me the handcuffs,” Cash yelled, adding a second knee to Dev’s back to get him under better control. Cash’s thumb added more pressure against Dev’s bent hand. The action only sent Dev into a further rage.
“Goddammit. You sorry motherfucker. When I get free…” Dev tried to twist and turn. Luckily, Joe listened to Cash. The pounding up the stairs had to be David and the rest of the attorney general’s surveillance team from across the street. It was all coming to a head. “I’m gonna kill every single one of you bitches when I get free.”
Dev was a force to hold on to. The biker hadn’t earned his reputation or his nickname by being accommodating. With the way Joe extended his shaking hand, his security detail needed to double time it up the staircase. Cash required their assistance. He couldn’t remove his hands from the death grip he had on Dev’s wrist. The biker knew what he was doing. They’d get into a wrestling match if Cash gave one wrong move.
“Open the door,” Cash yelled to Joe who hesitated, the pistol in his hand now aimed at the entry. Joe had no idea of the other security team’s presence. “Listen to me. Stand down, Joe. Those are my people coming through the door.”